By JACK PHILLIPS Provincial organizer Communist Party

When the B.C. Federation of aah Convention opens in Van- 7 ,,, " next Monday, the delegates ini Pe with many urgent ;;,©mMs, many of which have ted in previous years and i ck on the agenda. Rising

€s, the massive layoffs in the

: _ the continuing |, atisfaction with certain th ts of the B.C. labor code and bor Relations Board: these pune of the issues before the Union movement. : Najorit is no doublt that the | conc Y of the delegates will be Tned about the results of the €deral election and the drive ND If business to discredit the alive erment in Victoria. No : Bon member is unaware of es ely orchestrated cam- q turn politics to the right. | Wsitiy Convention can play a th a role by clearly identifying ople i problems before working ee ts responsibility will be to labop vlicies that will unite the ‘tong Movement in struggle otkin the immediate needs of the fects Class and against the thoy of inflation and unem- Ent. It should also call for Palen policies that will Ontrip anada’s independence and tens; ute to the lessening of world Ons,

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Rover question of the provincial that qeent, there is little doubt argy €re will be voices heard sh ula that nothing controversial Ohly Ie € debated because it would | Ying nd fuel to those who are Ever discredit the NDP Aer ee and bring back the to secceet this line of reasoning is Bsitig ner the independent ty , 1 Of the labor movement and ines the role of the trade | Boy M the fight to convince the Ment to honor-all of its pre-

N promises. Moreover, it

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would only strengthen the position of the right wing of the NDP by diminishing the role of the trade union movement as a counter- weight to the heavy pressure exerted on the government by the corporate interests in this province.

What is needed is responsible criticism that will unite the labor movement and other democratic, anti-monopoly forces. The Federation convention. should submit proposals to the provincial government which could rally the support of all working people and those who areopposed to the return of big business rule.

Ina situation where big business, its political parties and the capitalist news media are going all out to turn politics to the right, retreat or indecision by organized labor would only hasten this process and demoralize working people. We can’t be rid of the hungry tiger by pretending he isn’t there. The reaction of the business interests to the land protection legislation, government auto in- surance and the Mineral Royalties Act is living proof of this con- tention.

If further proof is needed, we have the example of the limitation on rent increases. The big lan- dlords are refusing to rent apart- ments and to withhold payments for utilities unless the government permits a substantial hike in rents.

This is the class struggle out in the.

open, waged by the monopoly real estate companies and their agents. If they have fooled some working people and some whom we nor- mally refer to as the middle class, it is no miracle considering that virtually all communication is controlled by a handful of private corporations.

The trade union movement must unite its ranks and emerge as a base around which other people’s movements can unite for social progress. That would be the best guarantee of the defeat of political reaction and the best antidote for defeatist policies which, in

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essence, constitute surrender to the pressures of big business.

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The position taken by the recent convention of the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council con- vention, in favor of peace and

detente and Canada’s withdrawal -

from NATO and Norad, should be reflected positively by the Federation convention.

In line with the growing public support for the restoration of democracy and free trade union rights in Chile, the convention can be expected to take a forthright position. The resistance forces in Chile are daily building up strength and are becoming more unified. International solidarity and support, particularly from the international labor movement, can be a decisive factor in isolating and defeating the military junta.

In helping the people of Chile, the labor movement in this country is consistent with the best traditions of working class internationalism. It is also helping to keep the door open ‘in Canada for deep-going social change.

With the rate of inflation ex- pected to exceed 12 per cent next year and unemployment now running at close to eight per cent, the poor are becoming poorer and the rich becoming richer. At the same time, since the first quarter of 1970, corporate profits have increased by 143 per cent.

In the first six months of this year, the number of man days lost through strikes and lockouts was more than 100% higher than during the same period in 1973, signifying a sharpening of the class struggle and the refusal of the workers to create super profits for the monopolies at the expense of their own living standards. A_ high percentage of these strikes were technically illegal, involving workers who wanted to reopen their contracts before the expiry date in order to win interim wage increases and_ cost-of-living allowances.

Despite the hesitancy shown by the Federation leadership on this question, some of the most protracted strikes have centred around the demand for COLA clauses (cost-of-living adjustments during the life of the agreement based on increases in the Con- sumer Price Index). The con- vention will no doubt reiterate the Federation position of full support to all affiliates in their efforts to increase the purchasing power of their members and to improve working conditions and job security. .

The massive layoffs in the lumber industry — with the number of unemployed mounting every week — cannot be taken lying down. The recent convention of the IWA adopted a good position — as far as it went. It called for a massive housing campaign, removal of all sales taxes from building materials, lower interest rates for home mortgages and an aggressive search for markets in the socialist and newly emerging countries of the world.

What is necessary now is to advance this program through rep-

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resentation to both the federal and provincial cabinets and meetings with MPs and MLAs, delegations to municipal councils. Above all, it will entail a mobilization of the IWA membership, both employed and unemployed.

The Federation convention can help this process by calling for bold action. There should be a demand that if the industry cannot provide jobs under private ownership, then it should be nationalized.

Delegates can also be expected to take a strong stand in support of the tenants movement, par- ticularly in their campaign for rent controls. This campaign is now entering a critical period and the support of organized labor is vital.

Of considerable importance at this year’s convention will be the question of autonomy. Since the

May convention of the Canadian Labor Congress which adopted the code of minimum standards on autonomy, some top leaders of several international unions have shown an unwillingness to accept those standards. In certain cases there has been outright resistance. The Federation can give new impetus to the movement for an independent and united trade union movement by restating and adding to the excellent position outlined by the convention in 1973.

The monopolies and_ their political parties have demon- strated their inability to provide the policies that the times demand. Canada, like every other capitalist country, is showing all the symp- toms of a deepening economic and social crisis. The labor movement has the responsibility to point the way toward new, alternative policies.

Labor backing BCA in Burnaby election

The Burnaby Citizens Association will field a full slate of candidates in the municipal elections slated for November 16. The organization, with a long record of progressive policies in the municipality of 135,000, has been endorsed by the Vancouver and District Labor Council.

The BCA presently has the mayor, two aldermen and two trustees in office but only one alderman and one trustee are up for election this year.

Heading the slate for council is incumbent Brian Gunn, well known to many Burnaby residents for his sustained campaign to prevent oil refinery expansion on Burrard Inlet and for relocation of the refineries elsewhere in the province. He has been on council since June, 1973.

Trade unionist Mona Allison, delegate to the Vancouver and District Labor Council and past financial secretary of Local 3253, Steelworkers, Win D/’Altroy, member of the GVRD citizen policy committee, and Fred Randall, business representative for the Operating Engineers and a past BCA candidate, fill out the aldermanic slate. ?

Incumbent Ann Blakey, a trustee since November, 1973 heads the slate for school board: Blanche Couch and Bob Kissner are the other two candidates.

Burnaby does not elect a parks board anda call for such an elected

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board is part of the BCA program.

The oil refinery issue continues to figure considerably in Burnaby politics and the BCA candidates have pledged to press the provincial government for

BRIAN GUNN

removal of the refineries from Burrard Inlet. The program also advocates a new housing policy to meet people’s needs, an upgraded public transit system including park and ride facilities on the eastern boundary of Burnaby expanded facilities for Burnaby General Hospital and rational development of the Burrard Inlet foreshore to integrate the area with park facilities.

BCA candidates have also called for pressure on the provincial government to provide a new education and welfare finance

See BURNABY pg. 12 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1974—Page 3